Apparently, George Clooney wasn't being coy when he recently asserted that "The Monuments Men" isn't an Oscar film. Yes, it has a gold-plated cast that includes Cate Blanchett and Jean Dujardin, an Oscar-friendly release date (December) and Clooney not only stars in it, but he directed, produced and wrote it too. Oscar voters are usually suckers for that when accomplished by a studly heartthrob star. However, Gold Derby just discovered that "The Monuments Men" has no academy campaign for the lead categories because it's chiefly a popcorn thriller, not gourmet Oscar fare. Sure, Sony may push it later for tech glory, but none of the rock-star awards strategists has been hired to oversee the kind of push a film normally gets when it's seriously in contention.

But does that really matter? Can't a movie get nominated for Best Picture on its own merits, you ask? Ha! Ha! Ha! No. The last time a movie broke into that category without a formal Oscar campaign was 40 years ago when "American Graffiti" stumbled onto the derby track after emerging as the top box-office hit of 1973.I know what you're thinking. That sneaky Clooney is pulling a Marty Scorsese on us. He's treating "Monuments Men" just like "The Departed" was peddled to Oscarologists back in 2006 when Oscar consultants insisted that his movie was just an action flick. But they did that for obvious reasons. Scorsese had had his heart broken when "Gangs of New York" crashed at the Oscars four years earlier. Clooney does fine at the Oscars. He just snagged a chunk of academy gold last year for producing Best Picture "Argo" and he prevailed as Best Supporting Actor for "Syriana" in 2005.

Another key point is that "The Departed" did have a high-profile Oscar consultant hired to represent it – the same woman who strenuously insisted to us all that it wasn't an academy pic. We knew that was a crock of poo at the time and we told her so.Lowering expectations probably helped "The Departed," though -- it ended up winning four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Director. Without an official Oscar campaign budgeted for "The Monuments Men," it's virtually impossible for it to get Oscar love above the crafts slots.Dear Derbyites: That means it is time to revise your predictions.

With "The Monuments Men" out of the top race, which films do you believe will be nominated for Best Picture? Make your predictions below. Change them as often as you wish.

But is it a remote possibility that it'll be so great, that despite no Oscar campaign, it'll get nominated anyway?Defy conventions...."American Grafitti" did it 40 years ago.And "The Departed." (..with a consultant)

Not sure if The Artist had much of a campaign. Seems to have popped out of nowhere. Weinstein's stealthy surprise....

Sony Pictures is disputing a report that its George Clooney drama "Monuments Men" will not be waging an Oscar campaign this season, saying that story jumped the gun and is incorrect.

"It's premature for anyone to make any assumptions about what we have planned for the season," Sony spokesperson Steve Elzer told TheWrap on Wednesday when asked about the report. "We have a studio team in place and we continue to add to it.

"George just finished principal photography a few weeks ago. He is still cutting as we speak and that's his focus right now. What we have seen of the film from dailies looks absolutely incredible."

A story by Tom O'Neil on the GoldDerby.com awards website suggested that "Monuments Men" will not be waging an Oscar campaign in the Best Picture, Best Director and acting categories "because it's chiefly a popcorn thriller, not gourmet Oscar fare."

O'Neil wrote that Sony might mount a campaign in the below-the-line categories, but that "none of the rock-star awards strategists has been hired to oversee the kind of push a film normally gets when it's seriously in contention."

In fact, a person with knowledge of the discussions said that Sony has had conversations with top awards consultants about "Monuments Men," though no one has been brought on board yet.

The film, directed by Clooney and co-written by Clooney and Grant Heslov, is based on the true story about a group of men who were recruited to save priceless artworks before they could be destroyed by the Nazis in the final days of World War II. In addition to Clooney, its cast includes Oscar winners Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett and Jean Dujardin, as well as Bill Murray and John Goodman.

The initial trailer was released last week, but the film itself is not on the slate of any of the major fall film festivals, Venice, Toronto or Telluride (the last of which which doesn't announce its bookings ahead of time). It is not slated for release until December, making it one of the last awards contenders to bow.

(Two of Sony's other major Oscar contenders, David O. Russell's "American Hustle" and Paul Greengrass' "Captain Phillips," do have a top Oscar consultant already on board, in addition to the studio team.)

It might be worth remembering that three years ago, rumors were briefly rampant that Sony was scaling back its awards push on behalf of "The Social Network" – a movie that ended up landing eight nominations and winning three Oscars on the heels of a robust and expensive campaign.

Gold Derby set off a hubbub today with its report that there are no plans to stage an Oscar campaign for "The Monuments Men" in the above-the-line categories. Sony insists that's not true. It's correct to say that none of the rock-star Oscar strategists has been hired to mount a campaign, but a studio exec insists that's because it's too early. "The Monuments Men," which is due out in awards-friendly December, is still in production. Once it's seen by studio chiefs, they'll decide how to position it for trophies. Meantime, the source says that the film has the full faith and backing of Sony's in-house awards office. Gold Derby regrets causing the confusion – and the hubbub.

You did what I was thinking of doing, Nicky80. Of course there will be a Campaign for The Monuments of Men. It deserves it. Such great work and focused editing to make it have every chance it can get, will make it a very fine film.